Franklin Simmons is BusinessPundit's Tech Editor. His life is consumed with a love of augmented reality, mobility, and emerging technology. He extensively covers all areas of technology, including the computing, automotive, and healthcare sectors. He can be reached at FranklinSimmons@BusinessPundit.com or (929) 265-0240.

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Uber and Airbus partner for ride-sharing helicopter service

Aircraft manufacturer Airbus and ride-sharing service Uber have teamed up for an on-demand service called UberChopper.

Tom Enders, the CEO of Airbus, says that it is a pilot project and the company is very excited to see how riders respond to the service.

UberChopper, a service that picks up customers using a helicopter, will launch at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah, which starts on January 21.

Uber is now available in more than 50 countries and 300 cities around the world. However, the company has said it wants to open up its service to third-party partners who can utilize its logistics technology to create new product offerings of all sorts.

Apart from car services the company has also used other modes of transportation such as boats and rickshaws as part of its services in some countries.

Uber first tested UberChopper in 2013 when it flew riders from Manhattan and the Hamptons. In 2015 helicopter rides were offered at the Cannes Film Festival and the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival.

The service has never been cheap, costing hundreds and even thousands of dollars per ride.

An Airbus spokesperson revealed that UberChopper will use Airbus H125 and H130 helicopters for its pilot project. Customers will first hail an Uber car that will pick them up and drive them to a waiting helicopter.

No financial details about the Airbus and Uber partnership have been revealed at this time. The cost of the service has not been revealed at this time.